Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-02-09
TIE TRICK" TAKEN OFF.
Who Removed the Spell from
Poor Little Bobbs9

Poor Little Bobbs7
"'N'. honey, Of yoh gwan promo
nadin down de road, s'posin' yoh stop
N Glib riccc oh yoh min to dat Glossy?
Tell her DE- wash amt fit fob nothin'
an dc cuffs m collahs limp m yal-
lah's ducks FOOT Hyar's her boy
Doibs, II done to!e him my 'pinion.
But he won't ncbcr car it to he's
mnddcr."
y mulatto boy of ten standing by
Aunt Judy looked up at me with n
scared, dcprccatory face, but when l
smiled, his eyes twinkled with such
mischief that laughed outright
Where does Glossy live, Aunt Judy,
or can you show me the way, BobbsP"
"Lohi sabus, dat chilo ncbcr walk
Gah, Don yoh know, Bobbs, Miss
Lucy? Jcs' yoh go yosclf, N keep on
dc road to biz clump live oaks. Dah's
an ole cabin dab; got pccan-trce grow
in ON front on dc banquette. OATS
ClosSy's.
Bobl.s. as she spoke, began to make
his way to the street, with a motion
that was neither hop, II jump nor a
crawl, but n mixture of all together.
On leg hung paralyzed from the hip
down. The little fellow face looked
up from the pitiable tumble of legs,
arms and crutch, still with smile,
half sad, half-quizzical.
Aunt Judy siezed him. "Yoh chile,
cum back hyar! Yoh gwan kill yoself?
Wait until Uncle Jerry gwan wild dc
cart, n he glib yoh lift"
She dumped the helpless Bobbs
down on the kitchen floor, and fol-
lowed us to the gate, DIR. Mactier,
who was with me, fingered, looking
curiousIy at the miserable cripple,
whistling, as if half ashamed of his
pity.
Don yoh member dat ar Glossy,
Miss Lucy?" said Aunt Judy. "She
'longed TO old Mist Yokum fob de
wah. Used to git sent to dc whippin'-
pos regular"
stopped. "Wns she the girl who'
The old negress nodded significant
ly. Hush. chile! Yes, dat was Glossy.
Mus hab been poor niggah allus.
Can't wash collahs now no noah a
cat! Glib her piece oh yoh min, honey.
Yoh kin jcs' say dat Bobbs hyar safe.
She makes monsous count oh dat boy
| Bobbs."
/ had been absent many years from
my native village in Alabama, but ]
dimly recalled the story of Glossy.
She had belonged to an ignorant
woman named Yokum, who was
summed by the respectable planters OF
the neighborhood because of the cruel
ty with which she used her household.
This Glossy, girl of sixteen, it was
whispered, had been abused so inhu-
manly that she lost her reason. DIR.
Macticr listened eagerly to my recollec-
tons of the story. He was a cousin OF
my husband, wealthy young Penn
sylvanian. who was concerned in some
coal mines in the ncighborhood. Be-
ing q stranger, every trivial feature OF
Southern life was interesting to him.
II have discovered a mystery" he
said. every night on my way to
your house / pass a lonely hut sur.
rounded by huge trees, from which
comes the sound of woman's voice,
singing negro hymns. II is wonder.
full voice, with terrible pathos in its
tines"
"Why, that is the housc!n he cx.
claimed, as turned into the path run.
ming through tobacco-iields to Clossy's
cabin.
1T must have been Glossy herself
that you heard" said, lowering m,
voice, as we neared the door I cx
pcctcd to see fierce, morose negro
capable of crime, but tiny woman,
almost white, dressed in pretty calico
came out to meet me, smiling and
DoDDlng.
Yes, Miss Lucy, Use heard you
come back" she began, in mild littl,
squeak of voice. Use mortal GLAD
{ sec you! M how's dc cunncl m d,
babyP Yes, Use Glossy"
| delivered Aunt Judy's message ir
a much modified form.
Eyes, Miss Lucy, dc collabs was x
trcmc bad. Use not s'prised Mis-.
Judy fin fault, but look a-hear!" Sh,
raised her skirt to show me enormousl,
swollen angles, on which she tottcrec
rather than stood. Else not ben abb,
TO stan n iron. N couldn't do Jus
ticc 10 da collab's sttin' down. dat.
! dc fac. But I'll be all right mex
week. shuah. Yoh won take dc wasl
ir IN me, Miss Lucy?" her eyes open
Ing with sudden terror so dispropor
toned TO the cause that sat down :,
rcassurc her.
IL hab no wash but yoh s." she con
tinucd. 81 try hard TO I've good clah
starchcr; try all my life used (,
watch Maum Why at ole Mist Yok